House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, on Monday, called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and business process outsourcing (BPO) Companies to uphold workers’ rights in times of calamity, stating, “BPO workers are not typhoon-proof.”

This came amid the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Uwan,” where some reports indicated that several BPO companies required their employees to operate business as usual.

“Hindi waterproof ang mga manggagawa, at may karapatan silang tumanggi na pumasok sa trabaho kung may nakaambang panganib tulad ng kalamidad,” Elago said.

According to the lawmaker, under DOLE Labor Advisory No. 17, s. 2022 Under the Occupational Safety and Health Law (Republic Act No. 11058), employees have the right to refuse unsafe work without fear of retaliation. Moreover, employers are legally required to ensure the safety and health of their employees in situations “posing imminent danger and act on firms forcing employees to work during disasters.”

“DOLE must proactively monitor companies’ labor rights compliance —especially in sectors with a history of forcing employees to work during disasters—and penalize violators that continue to endanger workers’ lives,” the lawmaker emphasized.

“No one should be forced to risk their lives just to meet company targets during a super typhoon. We likewise join the growing demand for DOLE and BPO companies to suspend work and provide paid emergency leaves for all directly affected workers,” she added.

The Gabriela Women’s Party has previously filed a House resolution regarding reported cases in which BPO employees in Cebu were forced to report to work despite safety hazards, following an earthquake.

Meanwhile, the said party-list is also set to conduct a nationwide consultation on proposed calamity leave for public and private sector workers directly affected in areas under a state of calamity.